PROGRESSIVE CONSUMPTION: STRATEGIC SUSTAINABLE EXCESS
by
Daniel J Bonham
B.F.A. ARCHITECTURE
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART 2003
SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
AT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JUNE 2007
@2007 Daniel J Bonahm. All rights reserved.
The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic
copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created.
Signature of Author:
Department of Architecture
May 24, 2007
Certified by:
Yung Ho Chang
Professor of Architecture & Head of the Department of Architecture
Thesis Supervisor
iAS0SACHUSETTS INSTIT
OFTECHNOLOGY
epted by:
Julian Beinart
Professor o A
KJUN 14 2007
LIBRARIES
hitecture
/ Chairman, Department Committee on Graduate Students
Yung Ho Chang
Professor of Architecture / Head of the Department of Architecture
Thesis Supervisor
Mark M. Jarzombek
Director, History, Theory & Criticism of Architecture & Art / Professor of the History of Architecture
Thesis Reader
J. Meejin Yoon
Associate Professor of Architecture
Thesis Reader
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Progressive Consumption: Strategic Sustainable Excess
by
Daniel J Bonham
Submitted To The Department Of Architecture On May 24, 2007 In Partial
Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of
Master Of Architecture
ABSTRACT
Trends in the marketplace show that urban dwellers are increasingly supporting locally produced foods. This thesis
argues for an architecture that responds to our cultures consumptive behaviors. Addressing the effects of
consumption in the contemporary urban environment and ultimately developing an architecture that facilitates the
consumption levels we have become accustomed to with sustainable business and community based systems.
The building is a new market model, built around the idea of delivering fresh produce and local food directly to
consumers; the primary means for which this is done is thought the production oriented, on site agriculture. This
direct-to-consumer model of food production is facilitated by hydroponics coupled with grow rooms and the benefit
of a controlled environment. With the production and transportation of agriculture being highly energy intensive,
produce flavor and consistency benefit greatly from a hyper-localized agricultural system.
Unlike consumer products which require complex supply chains and distribution networks for rapid market response
and vast pooling of knowledge and resources. Agriculture has the advantage of having the ability to be produced in
nearly any locale and at almost any scale, from window box to industrial mega-farm. As the model years of
tomatoes don't change, the only evolution in the facility or the product would be to increase efficiencies. The most
viable move toward progressive modes of consumption is this new hyper-local market model.
Thesis Supervisor: Yung Ho Chang
Title: Professor of Architecture / Head of the Department of Architecture
OUTLINE
I. Thesis: With production and transportation of agriculture being highly energy intensive, hyper-local production modes could
greatly reduce levels of energy consumption. This project is a critique of contemporary production modes through a new
market model focused on delivering super-fresh, local food directly to consumers.
II. Consumption
A.Social drivers
B. Psychological drivers
C.Agricultural consumption
Ill. Urban Agriculture Case Studies
A. The Food Project
1. Community outreach
2. Entrepreneurial strategies
B. Not A Cornfield
1. Site
2. Community
C.Vertical Farm Project
1. Societal need
2. Technical support
IV. Site / Density & Opportunity
A.Opportunities in the Code
B. Opportunities Somerville
C.Constraints
V. Building / New Market model
A.Networks / Systems
B. Community
VI. Process
Thank You:
Yung Ho, Mark, Meejin, John, Shun, Sheila, Anne, Eric, Lisa, Jim & Jorie.
For Sara
progressive consumption
s-stairable
@x<ess
The real issue is not consumption itself but its patterns and effects"
Human Development Report 1998 Overview, United Nations Development Program
(UNDP)
"...
This research for the Masters of Architecture Thesis evaluates our society's relationship
to consumption and the emerging consumer demand for locally produced food. There
are two fundamental categories of consumption, consumption driven by desire and
consumption driven by necessity. Consumption based on satisfaction rather than need
is fueled by our culture, the big box retailers and new product launches. Sustaining
consumption is the essences of life; food, air, water etc. Both are integral parts of our
daily lives perpetuating life and providing gratification in a time when we have become
reliant on instant fulfillment.
As our society consumes more, architectural and infrastructural mechanisms have
developed that support consumption. The food we eat the cars we drive and the music
we listen to, all are fulfilling certain needs in our daily lives. With the production and
transportation of agriculture being highly energy intensive, production modes could
benefit greatly from localized versus remote production. Unlike consumer products
which require complex supply chains and distribution networks for rapid market
response and vast pooling of knowledge and resources. Agriculture has the advantage
of having the ability to be produced in nearly any locale and at almost any scale, from
window box to industrial mega-farm. In addition, as the model years of tomatoes
don't change, the only evolution in the facility or the product would be to increase
efficiencies.
Trends in the marketplace show that urban dwellers are increasingly supporting locally
produced foods. This thesis argues for an architecture that responds to our cultures
consumptive behaviors. Addressing the effects of consumption in the contemporary
urban environment and ultimately developing an architecture that facilitates the
consumption levels we have become accustomed to with sustainable business and
community based systems.
The research establishes a theoretical and practical framework for the project
outlining the psychological, sociological, architectural, and economic manifestations
of consumption. Hoarding, asceticism, debt, and addiction are al stimulus for my
research in to the effects of consumption. Identity, gender, class, race, and education
all influence our consumptive decisions. I am pursuing an architecture that efficiently
facilitates the patterns of contemporary life. The architectural manifestations of these
ideas are new housing typologies, new zoning regulations, or possibly a new business
model.
Consumption
Our culture today has an insatiable appetite for new material goods. The generally
acknowledged problems of consumer culture; raw material depletion, carbon
emissions and energy consumption have drawn much attention; unfortunately they
cannot be solved with an architectural reaction. Urban agriculture, as a strategy for
sustainability, has primarily been implemented in small neighborhood community
gardens, with gardeners principally acting as consumer and producer in a closed
production loop. Recent trends in the market place have changed many consumers'
attitudes toward imported foods. Increasingly, consumers have recognized the need
for locally produced food. As demand for these local crops has increased, so have the
methods for bringing them to the table. The growth of organic, boutique food stores
and Community Supported Agriculture demonstrate the viability of locally produced
food as a business model. In contrast, factory farms are not only energy intensive but
create foods with poor flavor and nutritional value.
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Physiologically
Consumption activates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the human
brain. This release links both sustaining and satisfying consumption to pleasure.
Essentially consumption makes us happy and while the drivers differ, the result is the
same. Can a garden be grown in ajunkyard; will warehouses double as green houses?
How can a home be designed to accommodate a tighter proximity to our beloved stuff?
Rather than making a valuejudgment on our relationship to consumption, this project
seeks balance between the acquisition and maintenance of our consumptive behaviors,
bringing the food production as close as possible to the place of consumption.
12
food
quality
urban
conditions
food
proximity &position
security
raw material
consumption
population
density
fossil fuel
consumption
influence
I
Agriculture
With out the necessary means to sustain food consumption cities have traditionally
looked to the outskirts for food production. Urban settlement and development have
driven the producers farther and farther from the urban core. Our food is traveling
great distances to reach our markets; this solution provides less flavorful food and
consumes more energy than is reasonable to continue. Food from large industrial
farms serving urban people remotely from across the country and around the world
may be all that is attainable in our super markets. Recent trends in the marketplace
and social movements have changed many consumers' attitudes toward imported
foods; they have recognized the need for local produce food for both its flavor and
for reasons of sustainability. This attitude has been championed by the Slo Food
movement, facilitated by farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
on the periphery of cities.
0
market
opportumity
Urban Agriculture
Community gardens in the city. These gardens often serve as a community building
public space where the necessity to work for a common goal brings a greater
understanding of the community in which they are positioned. Throughout the world
small neighborhood community gardens, with gardeners acting as consumer and
producer in a closed production loop exist. Increasingly agriculture is used as an
instrument for teaching communities about sustainable practices.
Community Supported Agriculture began independently in Japan and Europe in the
mpd 1900s due to demands on the urban land and questions about the origin of massmarket foods. Growers typically contract directly with customers sharing the risks,
benefits of food production Organic or biodynamic farming methods are most popular
on small scale commercial farms, and gardens can have successful, small-scale closed
markets where the consumers pay for a share of the crop before the growing season
begins, literally contributing seed money.
Three projects positioning themselves in the movement toward sustainable practices for
agriculture in the city are; The Food Project, in Boston, Not a Cornfield in Los Angeles
and The Vertical Farm Project from The Environmental Health Science Department of
Columbia University. All of these projects have an agricultural component paired with
community outreach, they are real, conceptual, and speculative, but all demonstrate
the capacity that agriculture has to foster sustainable cities.
These projects bring up many questions about urban agriculture. How have we
seen agriculture at play in urban environments does it have a presence in our paths?
Are.there any instances where agriculture has existed in the city with an agenda of
production rather than social agenda? That is to say a purely utilitarian garden, not
tended for aesthetic reasons and not part of a community program? Can the farmers
market replace the super market during peak harvest? Do neighborhoods have the
capacity to be self-sustaining, partially of wholly?
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Urban Agriculture, Case 1
In Boston, The Food Project serves a model for community outreach, through the
education of teens and residents about the benefits of locally grown foods. This project
serves to feed the community through CSA and hunger relief while providingjobs and
activities in depressed areas of Boston. Founded in 1991 by Ward Cheney who wanted
to help youth who felt isolated from their surroundings in both the city and the suburbs
with intentions of growing a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults
from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. Since
1991, The Food Project has engaged up to 100 teens per growing cycle in personal and
social change through sustainable agriculture.
Considerable thought has been placed on the entrepreneurial aspects of food
production, income-generating ventures like natural salsa, catering, and farmers
markets act as the conduit for over 200,000 tons of produce grown each year. The
idea of sustainability reaches beyond merely gardening, sustaining economic growth,
and donation to community services. Members run workshops on building community
gardens, testing soil, farmer training, and building local agriculture systems. In the
works, The Food Project plans to double its size and production and promote more
community groups based on this model.
Urban Agriculture, Case 2
The Not a Cornfield project in Los Angeles by architect / artist Lauren Bon exhibits
the 400-year evolution of a site from agricultural, to industrial, to park. Community
involvement and discourse about the past and future of a site was furthered by
planting corn on 32 acres of land devoid of development near down town L.A. on the
historic and geographic center of LA. At the base of the extension of the Santa Monica
Mountain range, 150 feet from the Los Angeles River. Near the Tongva village site
where in 1781 Spanish explorers settled L. A. /2 mile away. Adjacent to Chinatown,
settled in 1850 Early 1900s became stockyard. Long referred to as "the cornfield"
because corn has been intermittently been growing there for the last 100 years or so.
In 2001, the site was designated as The California State Historical Park the formal park
is slated to be completed in 2010.
In an attempt to build a contemporary relationship between the site and this project
was conceived as a source of contemporary and historical context, bringing closure to
the cornfield as empty lot. Lauren Bon calls the Not a Cornfield project an "ephemeral
sculpture"... "not public art" the mitigation from Brown field to parkland was begun
with more than 1,500 truck loads of topsoil to begin the transformation. The scheme
consisted of planting roughly a million corn plants resulting in 60 million kernels at a
value of $3,557.75 if sold on the commodities market. The principle tenants were the
activation of a void space before its transformation into an urban public space.
Stemming from this the Community Seeds program is starting a healing garden in
another void within the city under the Spring Street Bridge the seeds from this garden
will be given out to community members. The corn kernels from the site were then
distributed to areas in transition; a Lakota reservation in South Dakota, Solar One (the
world's largest solar collector in the Mojave Desert), uranium-trailing dumpsites in Utah
and at Rocky Fats nuclear facility near Boulder CO.
Initially met with much suspicion and hostility from many in the local community who
felt that the field should not be loaned to an outsider for publicity or personal gain, they
felt that the process was undemocratic. Protests were held at the opening ceremony
as community members voiced their concerns. It is unclear the amount of impact this
had on the next years activities but community participation was a major aspect of Not
a Cornfield. Local residents were encouraged to be involved with a series of activities.
Special focus was placed on serving the communities of downtown Los Angeles,
Chinatown, William Mead, Lincoln Heights, Solano Canyon, and Cypress Park. Cornfield
activities include artists, writers, poets, musicians, and storytellers who help define
these neighborhoods. Open screen and open mic, evening showing of short films,
songs, thoughts and experience were shared through the biweekly open mic sessions.
Now near the site is a community garden with corn, beans, and squash.
Urban Agriculture, Case 3
The Vertical Farm project proposes the development of industrialized farming within
the city. This speculative project outlines the potential for sustainable and profitable
farming for densely populated areas like New York City and Beijing. The researchers
who developed the proposal believe it to be the solution to much, if not all of the
world's poverty and hunger problems. Vertical Farms: The proposal from Dickson
Despommier and his Medical ecologies class at Columbia University investigated and
proposed a vertical farm as a means to meet rising food demands and decreases in
available land.
Presently over 80% of the worlds, agriculture land is already in use. With population
increases comes the rise in consumption of these lands and the increased volatility and
potential for shortcomings from the agricultural supply chain. The project calls for a
new type of indoor farming, rather than continuing the existing production modes of
horizontal hot houses, the proposed model is vertical farming. The scheme suggests
that technology paired with free market enterprise can provide year round harvesting
within urban cores. Hydroponic growing of foods, organic poultry and fish production,
zero net emissions, closed loop water recycling and reuse of municipal wastewater.
A tall order but the research team contends that this is the ultimate solution for
sustainable cities.
The current research suggests that the economics are realizable and profitable
with renewable energy generation eliminating utilities expenditures. If the teams'
research is correct, corporate investors would be willing to sponsor this project due
to the income potentials of vertical farming and its position as a unique investment
opportunity capable of revolutionizing the agricultural production mechanisms currently
in place. Prime locations for the buildings are named as New York City, Beijing, Mali,
Cuba, Japan, Iceland and the potential for floating vertical farms,
For the project to move into a feasible position much planning is necessary to assesS
the sanitary requirements, public health regulations, civil engineering requirements,
regional planning bylaws, and building codes. These issues would be locale sensitive
so a site would have to be determined. On a broader scope, the energy management
engineering needs to be studied and economists are needed to measure benefits. The
data from Dr. Despommier's researchers indicates that the Vertical Farm would be selfsufficient through a methane digester capable of producing a surplus of 26.5 million
kWh per year. According to Boston Housing Authority, that amount of energy could
power 1300 public housing units each year.
Site
Across America, junk yards and manufacturing sites suddenly find themselves in the midst of residential neighborhoods. Options for
mitigation of these sites, which may not be suitable for residential development, are limited. Public space is one option; however,
the economic return on parkland is generally prohibitive. These sites are continuously being enveloped by residential development:
more people, more roads, more buildings, and less space. Skirting cities and infrastructure, inside of the urban environment, this
proximity makes for prime areas of agricultural production.
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Formerly industrial areas of the city have been compressed by population growth. Loss
of industrial economies has left industrial zoned parcels in the midst of neighborhoods.
These zones offer an opportunity for local, sustainable food production as the market
demands for reasons of sustainability and market trends. This thesis develops an
architectural model for food production and economic stimulation for the remnants of a
bygone industrial era.
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This specific site is a compressed splice that stretches from Porter Square to
Union Square in Somerville. Flanked on the north and south by dense residential
neighborhoods the splice is nestled within some of the densest residential areas in
North America. A variety of classes and races represented as the mixed zoning lends
itself to lower income residents. The splice encompasses not only residential but also
light industrial, junk yards, recycling centers, auto repair, and commercial and of course
self- storage. At least one developer is currently injecting postindustrial sites in this
area with housing.
Urban fringe areas offer opportunity for development of sustainable architectural
solutions to meet demand for locally produced food. Opportunities exist within the
linear site for transverse stratification of program as well as linear segmentation. Two
general strategies suggest exploration at a variety of scales. The primary axis on the
site runs east west and follows the commuter rail line and the main access routs along
the site. Conversely, the vertical stratification of the site suggests a finer grained
solution, one that begins to establish connections with neighborhoods divided by their
shared industrial past.
/
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Building
The product of the thesis is a building that efficiently supports the growth of food, and
gets its energy from the digesting of waste products from the facility and potentially the
surrounding buildings. The building offers a framework for profitable community based
business models. In order to promote the ideas imbedded in this thesis the building
functions as a hyper efficient production facility as part of a scheme to promote the
benefits of locally produced food.
Consumers are demanding locally produced food; architecture cannot only facilitate the
growth of the food but also foster greater understanding of ones position within society.
Acting as a nexus for neighborhood activity the architecture developed will offer
scaleable solutions to the problem of providing locally produced food in urban areas.
Part, grow room, part market and part public space, metaphorically; a farm stand on
steroids, taking advantage of every available technology. The program will consist of
food grow space to support surrounding homes. Market for selling the produce and
products from local producers, this aspect will enhance the viability of the facility by
increasing income potentials. The third component is an interpretive center where the
community can come to learn about food and energy production and consumption.
Fresh Market
An critique of consumer culture through a new market model built around the idea of
delivering super-fresh produce and local food directly consumers. The facility has three
primary functions A: growing produce B: selling local food C: Community do-it-yourself.
The facility operates as apart of a system of networks of support and distribution;
the regional network of farms and manufacturers, a local network of neighborhood
farmers and the hyper-local, on site production. This system is based on commerce
but has provisions for education and support for the surrounding community. The
environmental or ecological system of the building is supported by a living machine,
methane digester, hydroponic networks, and sunlight. All of this operates within a
reticulate (network) structure which allows for differential floor placement, increasing
sunlight access for the entire building.
The principle function of the Fresh facility is for the provision of locally produced food
the primary means for which this is done isthought the production oriented growth of
food. The sales of which primarily happen on site. Current hothouse facilities are able
to produce large amounts of crops as well as profits for their owners. Crops with a
high yield under hothouse conditions include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and others.
This direct to consumer model of food production isfacilitated by intensive hydroponics
coupled with L.e.d. grow rooms and the benefit of controlled environment.
The market facility consists of retail sales, a cafe, and a restaurant. Retail sales
occur intwo modes; the first mode isthe typical protocol for markets, a self-service
grocery, as you would expect. The second mode isfor the consumer to pick the
produce themselves from the plants in the growing areas. The customers become the
harvesters cutting out all typical conduits of delivery. The primary market serves as a
full service grocer, specializing in locally produced goods. The products sold here come
from the hyper-local (inside the facility) as well as from local, regional farms with in 100
miles of Somerville. The restaurant and cafe serve seasonally changing menus using
regional suppliers. In cases like coffee where no local equivalent can be made every
measure will be taken to insure that importing and roasting is done locally to promote
local economies. Since the sustainability of local economies is as important as local
ecologies, care is taken to ensure that local producers are owed and operated by local
34
constituents.
concept sketch
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east west section
north south section
mid cut
top view
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serena:
comes on saturday for the farmers market
Inves the restaiwant
clean water here
water treatment / digester
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eat here
distribute -
d.i.y. grow here
reflection
d.i.y market
edna:
just like fresh foods
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east elevation
ben:
student at tufts works in cafe
part of personal sustainability directive
plans to go into the peace corps
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-V
1
There are two types of community based gardening with in the facility. First at the
periphery of the building is a landscape for community gardening. Plots are leased
and the amenities of the larger facility can be used, water, composting, seedling and
germination areas can be subscribed to on an as needed basis. Within the facility
production oriented grow rooms are available for lease as well, these are within the
hothouse but operate as autonomous grow rooms. These more production-oriented
bays are available for year round production. Any one who is growing on site has the
option of selling their goods at either the Fresh market or at the Saturday market. This
provides an outlet for surplus goods and potential relief from the cost associated with
leasing a plot or grow-room.
Additionally this facility has a social
agenda; to promote local agriculture
as a business and as a method of
sustenance. Through the Fresh market
citizens can learn how to start their own
garden or grow room. Student groups
will be able to tour the facility learning
about hydroponics, waste management,
compost and renewable energy. The
facility will serve as a teaching lab where
sustainable practices will be honed and
then disseminated to the community.
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Process
Decreasing the distance from the designers hand to the end product is the principal
aspect of my approach to design. Through the distillation of architectural production,
efficiencies can be achieved giving the designer a greater degree of control over the
product. Strategies are architectural in nature but draw on the fields of real estate
development, marketing, computation, as well as those traditionally associated with
artisans and craftsmen. Be it the development of a grammar, working through the
critical path or the molding of clay, there is a moment when ones response to the
problem is no longer the action but the reaction. Ultimately, the designer is able to
answer a design problem due to a conceptual or physical proximity to each layer of
design production.
Bibliography
Urbanism / Development
Abruzzo, Emily ed. "30 60 90 08: Autonomous Urbanism" Architectural Journal, 306090,
Inc. New York, NY 2005.
Briseno., Alexandere ed. "30 60 90 06: Shifting Infrastructures" Architectural Journal,
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Perroux., Francois. "Economic Space: Theory and Applications" The Quarterly Journal of
Economics, Vol.64 No.1. 1950.
Sokol, David Bed. Architectural Design, Vol.74 No. 3 "Property Development and
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Consumption
Kasser, Tim "The High Price Of Materialism" MIT Press Cambridge, MA 2002.
McCullough, Malcolm "Digital Ground" MIT Press Cambridge, MA 2004.
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MW
Landscape / Nature / Agriculture
Corner, James, ed. "Recovering Landscape" Princeton Architectural Press. Princeton, NJ
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Corner, James. "Taking Measures: Across the American Landscape" Yale University
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Easterling, Keller. "Organization Space: Landscapes, Highways, and Houses in America"
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River, NJ 1998.
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Design and City Theory" Wiley Academy London, UK 2005.
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Spain 2004.
Spirn, Anne Whinston. "The Granite Garden" Basic Books. New York, NY 1984.
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